1. Technical Field
The apparatus of the present invention relates generally to a wild game feeder, more specifically, it relates to a semi-rigid bag wild game feeder which is adapted to be self-supporting and which has a plurality of removable, supporting dowels projecting therefrom. A main feature of the present invention is the semi-rigidity of the bag containing the feed and a generally horizontal flat bottomed surface which allows the bag to be placed on a horizontal surface and to be self-standing. This self-standing feature has two important benefits. First, in conjunction with the removability of the support dowels, it allows the bag to be more easily stored and displayed on store shelves while awaiting sale. Secondly, it allows the wild game feeder to be used in environments where no supporting projection from which the bag could be hung exists. Therefore, the utility of the feeder is greatly enhanced by its lack of a need for a hanging support member.
Feeding of wild games such as birds and squirrels is done basically for two reasons. First it is aesthetically pleasing to have different species of wild game within sight of the house. It is entertaining for both adults and children alike to observe different wild game species which are not always commonly seen in the wild without the enticement of a wild game feeder. A second reason for attracting wild games into one's yard is the ecological enhancement provided by the presence of the wild game. For example, birds consume a wide variety of bugs and flying insects as food. Therefore, the presence of birds is likely to reduce the insect population. Therefore, on several different levels, it is desirable to attract wild game into one's yard.
The most efficient way of accomplishing this, of course, is use of a wild game feeder. Not only does it give the game added reason to enter the yard, but it gives one a specific point on which to focus one's attention to observe such wild game.
Currently, there are an extremely large number of feeder apparatus on the market. However, nearly all of these apparatus require the existence of some horizontal projecting member such as a tree branch, nail, or the like from which the bag would be hung. This somewhat reduces the utility of the feeder apparatus since such a horizontal projecting member is not always available. Consequently, it is highly desirable to provide a feeder apparatus which, while adapted to utilize such a tree branch or the like for support, does not require it.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art feeder devices are quite numerous. However, the vast majority of these devices require a tree branch or the like for support.
Several examples of prior art bird feeder devices are Hegedus, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,871, Burns, U.K. Patent No. 2,222,928, Salick, U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,024. Hegedus, Burns and Salick all have a bag or sock which is adapted to receive and store the bird feed. However, as is common with the prior art feeders, the bags are not self-supporting and must be hung from a tree branch or the like.
Consequently, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a feeder apparatus which is constructed of a semi-rigid bag having a generally flat bottom and such that the bag is adapted to be self-supporting.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a feeder apparatus which is adapted to receive at least one projecting member therethrough so as to provide a means for feeding birds or the like, to perch thereon.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a means for releasably sealing the bag to prevent spillage of feed therefrom during storage and transportation.
A still further objective is to provide a dispensing means which is operative to retain the feed within the bag thereby preventing spillage therefrom while at the same time allowing wild game to retrieve feed on demand.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a wild game feeder apparatus which may utilize feed dispensing holes of different sizes in order to accommodate different feed types such as bird seed for birds or shelled corn for squirrels.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a wild game feeder apparatus wherein the wild game perches may be positioned differently depending on the wild game type being fed.
It is a final object to provide a feeder apparatus which may be used for the feeding of many types of wild game such a squirrels and the like.